Testimonials

Some of my clients have been happy to share their experiences........:

" Dear Brenda, I want to thank you with all my heart for helping me to turn my life around. You have been a rock to me through my deepest grief and darkest days. You've taught me, by example, what healthy boundaries are and encouraged me to have some of my own. This gift changed my entire life. I learned to love accept and honour myself in the way I wanted to, without sacrificing myself in order to get love and acceptance from others. You taught me to recognise my self worth and to value myself. You showed me that my feelings matter and I can validate myself wherever I am emotionally. You helped me to understand my dynamics from childhood, to forgive people and to see my part in everything rather than blaming. No words can express how deeply grateful I am for the space you created for me to explore my mind and my emotions. I've always been amazed at how you just 'understood me' and analaysed the psyche of all the people around me too! You remembered everything I've ever told you. It's an incredible gift that you have and it still blows my mind how no matter how vulnerable I was, I always looked forward to every single session for 3.5 years. I seriously haven't ever committed to anything in my life the way I committed to Therapy and that's all thanks to your professionalism and perfect balance of kindness but truthfulness, boundaried yet accessible way of working. I admire everything about the way you worked with me and will see it as the best investment I've ever made in myself. It's made me own the best version of myself without having to give myself away! Your work helped me turn around every area of my life for the better and I'm in an incredibly happy place now. I highly, highly recommend your services to anyone wanting to make a change in their lives for the better. Once again thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me to get through the toughest depression and into a blissful happy and peaceful place in my life that I never thought was possible. Thank you a million times.”

"I had over the years thought about how counselling could help me through a number of my anxieties and challenges but always put it off for another day. It was only when I lost my wife from a very speedy aggressive form of cancer that I realised that I could not put it off any longer if I was really going to be able to 'recover' from this devastating event.

As many people, I am sure, feel, it was only when I got started that I realised that the anxieties around starting counselling paled into insignificance compare to the impact of the trauma itself and it felt good to get started. I found Brenda's approach incredibly accessible to engage with. I liked the way that our sessions were a conversation, with Brenda bringing ideas to discuss which in turn resulted in me releasing my own thoughts. Eleven months of work with Brenda has left me able to understand myself better, see effective responses to challenges that continue to come up, and to live in a much more healthy state.

My journey through this recovery still continues but I now feel able to see a possible new life ahead of me which is incredibly encouraging. After my wife's death my friends described themselves as my team and I very much see Brenda as a fully paid up member of that too. A team that has helped me work through a deeply upsetting time but a team that has enabled me to see that a happy life ahead is possible."

"Taking the first step in going to see Brenda was the best thing I've ever done, she has changed my life around where I thought there was no hope, she has helped me become a more happier, stronger and positive person and how to deal with situations, and for this I am very grateful"

"One thing was always very clear in my life: I did not need therapy because if anyone could do it on their own, I could. Then life after having set up many trials for me forced me to face something that I would realise to be too much. Not by a lot, but by enough to make me realise that I would not make it on my own. I went to therapy reluctantly and in a very guarded manner. In my first session, I, a person who does not cry in front of people, broke into pieces. And for once it felt good. I felt like the sticky crazy threatening thoughts were flooding out of my eyes and I slowly regained control of my thoughts and my lungs.

The moment I walked out of Brenda's office I knew I had to go back. I was terrified. I now knew she would not let me lie to her. This was my chance to fix myself, to finally be honest about what needed fixing and fighting for a different me. And I went back. I never cried the way I did that first day. But I was surprise by what fundamentally hurt me and delighted by what I could let go without excruciating effort. I started to live again, little by little. I did not like every session, some revelations felt like acid in my heart, but they were never noxious. They just made me face myself.

Now I have stopped feeling perpetually heavy and on guard. I have started laughing more and allowed myself to be a little less terrifyingly strong. Or to be more accurate I have understood that strength has nothing to do with pretending you are fine. I discovered a new kind of bravery, and for once I can smile without a shadow of a doubt. My problems have not dissolved, I have learned to face them honestly and with support and therefore do not feel like drowning anymore. I thought my self worth was determined by my existence as a savior, it was not. I could not have asked for more deliverance."

"I have nothing but praise and gratitude for Brenda's skill and experience. She has been there from the first time with reassurance at the time of utter confusion and worry for us and she found a route out. I would always recommend her, she has been fabulous and a true professional"

"I started seeing Brenda at a difficult time in my life. I had lost both my grandfather and a baby within a matter of weeks and felt like my life was falling into a downward spiral. Having the opportunity to talk to someone who passed no judgement and listened with empathy was crucial in enabling me to make sense of my emotions and thoughts and take back control of my life. Thank you"

"I received counselling sessions from Brenda during a difficult time in my life, including a very close bereavement, and redundancy from work. I can honestly say, that the sessions and the different views Brenda presented me with to consider, have equipped me to move on with my life. Thank you Brenda you were my life line at a difficult time."

"Meeting Brenda was crucial for my family life. My relationship with my very naughty 7 year old daughter was in a bad state. There was a lot of arguing and stress nearly every day. After sessions with Brenda our communication is much better, I feel much closer to my daughter and understand her needs. I realise what a great and actually well-behaved girl she is. Instead of fighting I praise her natural talents. My life is much happier with less stress and more joy. Thank you so much Brenda for the fantastic support and change in our family life."

"When I started seeing Brenda I was lost........over time I found that I was a happy person with the tools to deal with relationships, emotions and life."

"Life no longer controls me, my emotions and my decisions. I am now in control of my life."

"Counselling has changed my life and me for the better and for that I have Brenda to thank."

"It felt such a big step for me to decide to see Brenda, I had spent years internalising and trying to improve things by myself and felt I had hit a wall. In a safe, non judgmental and welcoming environment the listening, support and gentle guidance from Brenda helped me see things with clarity. I now have a more balanced outlook on life, don't punish myself, ask for what I want and like myself as a person. Sometimes I revert back to old, but I now have the tools in my head to guide me back on track, almost like having an "angel on my shoulder". I am so grateful that I invested the time in Counselling. Brenda is a superstar and I can't recommend her enough."

“I knew I needed help: I was desperate to make sense of so many things in my life……I now feel in control of my life and able to cope with what life throws at me. I know that without Brenda’s help I would still be constantly struggling with my demons. Brenda knows more about my life than anyone else I know – it has been cleansing and extremely therapeutic to have shared so much with her without having to be judged or worry in a way you would talking to a friend or a family member. I could be totally honest and in return Brenda has made sense of so many things that were seemingly very complicated. I will really miss my weekly sessions with Brenda – it has been a long journey and I now feel ready to cope on my own……. I finally understand who I really am”

“I just wanted to say a big thank you to you for all the hard work you put in for me. You helped me overcome so much. I actually feel like an adult, finally, and that's coming from a 37 year old! I never thought therapy would help this much. Now knowing what I felt growing up makes me wish I would have done this years ago! I still have moments when I go to that dark place and I remember my past but I’m in a completely different place now so it doesn't affect my every day life. I don't hate how I look or feel, and I don't walk out in the streets thinking people are going to stare at me because I look so hideous. I just feel kind of..... ‘normal’ now, it's the only way I can describe it. I've recommended therapy to loads of my friends because I feel like therapy can help everyone, no matter how big or small someone’s problems are. Therapy really is the best medicine and I have Brenda to thank for it.”

“My life has been a pretty bumpy journey with many unfortunate situations challenging my emotions. Even the strongest people can crumble sometimes and may need a point in the right direction, someone to put a perspective on certain things, someone to look at your life from another angle, someone to just listen and lend a helping hand to tidy up all those loose ends that haunt you from time to time. Brenda did this for me, she made me see my life clearer and helped me focus on the positive and now has helped me move forward in my life. She has helped me begin the journey to finding myself again and I thank her for this.”